The Theory of Everything + Jane Hawking’s “reality check”

The Theory of Everything

(Stephen Hawking’s life)

The Theory of Everything is a 2014 British biographical romantic drama film directed by James Marsh and adapted by Anthony McCarten from the memoir Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen by Jane Wilde Hawking, which deals with her relationship with her ex-husband, theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, his diagnosis of motor neurone disease, and his success in physics.

Hawking’s Comment

Stephen Hawking Praises ‘Theory of Everything’ Oscar Winner

Actor Eddie Redmayne took home the “Best Actor” award at the 2015 Oscars for his role as Stephen Hawking in “The Theory of Everything.“

Famed British astrophysicist Stephen Hawking took to Facebook last night to congratulate actor Eddie Redmayne for winning the best actor Oscar at the 2015 Academy Awards for “The Theory of Everything,” a biopic about Hawking’s life and his debilitating illness.

“Well done Eddie, I’m very proud of you,” Hawking wrote on the social network after yesterday’s ceremony (Feb. 23). Hawking had previously congratulated Redmayne on winning a Golden Globe award for the role. Of Redmayne’s portrayal of him, Hawking wrote, “At times, I thought he was me.”

In the film, Redmayne depicts Hawking’s physical decline following a diagnosis of motor neuron disease, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). [See photos from “The Theory of Everything”]

Redmayne brilliantly captures Hawking’s transition from a vivacious young man racing around on bikes to needing a cane, then two canes, and eventually being confined to a wheelchair. The actor told Live Science previously that he worked with dance choreographers and patients at an ALS clinic to get the physical poses just right. He also worked with a speech therapist to recreate Hawking’s progressively garbled speech.

In addition to Redmayne’s best actor honor, the film was nominated for best picture, best actress, best original score and best adapted screenplay. “The Theory of Everything” was based on the memoir “Traveling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen” (Alma Books, 2013), written by Jane Hawking, Stephen’s first wife.

But “The Theory of Everything” wasn’t the only film about neurological disease honored at the Oscars this year. Julianne Moore won the best actress award for her portrayal of a woman suffering from Alzheimer’s disease in the movie “Still Alice.”

And themes of neurological disorders or mental illness have had their share of awards and nominations in previous years.

In 2013, Bradley Cooper was nominated for best actor for playing a man suffering from bipolar disorder in “Silver Linings Playbook.” Jennifer Lawrence won best actress that year for depicting an emotionally unstable young widow in the same film.

In 1997, Jack Nicholson won best actor for his role as a misanthropic novelist with an obsessive-compulsive disorder in “As Good As It Gets.” And in 1988, Dustin Hoffman took home the top acting award for portraying an autistic savant in “Rain Man,” a character based in part on real-life savant Kim Peek.

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Here is part of the “real” story

Jane Hawking says living with Stephen made her ‘suicidal’ but Theory of Everything film brought them closer together

Jane Hawking with her ex-husband Getty

Stephen Hawking’s first wife has spoken of the struggles she faced while caring for him and their three children as they came under extreme scrutiny from the rest of the world.

Jane Hawking, 71, says she was driven to the brink of suicide as life became “physically and mentally exhausting” as her family was viewed through her husband’s genius.

“Sometimes life was just so dreadful, so physically and mentally exhausting, that I wanted to throw myself in the river – although of course I stopped myself because of the children,” she said in an interview with The Telegraph.

Jane’s story was brought to wider public attention following the release of the biopic The Theory of Everything, which earned Eddie Redmayne an Oscar and a Bafta for his portrayal of one of the world’s most famous scientists.

Her relationship with Stephen began shortly after his diagnosis with terminal motor neurone disease, and the pair somehow succeeded in keeping their marriage together for 25 years, until Hawking eventually left Jane for his carer Elaine Mason.

“In our real life the difficulties of dealing with Stephen’s diseasewere much greater than they appear in the film,” Jane told theGuardian.

“There was no alternative to just carrying on. I felt very committed to Stephen, and I didn’t think he could manage without me. I wanted him to carry on doing his amazing work, and I wanted the children to have a stable family behind them – so we just carried on.”

Nominated for five Oscars, four Golden Globes and ten BAFTAs,The Theory of Everything grossed £77 million worldwide.

Jane and Stephen are reportedly on good terms despite their divorce, and she says that the film has brought them closer together.

“I think the film has shown Stephen things he probably didn’t know about my struggles, and how I really did try my best to support him over such a long period,” she said.